How to read these waiting bands

These bands describe elapsed waits among pathways still waiting at the stated period end, not time until an appointment or completed treatment. A range such as 3–<4 includes 3 but excludes 4 weeks; >3–4 excludes 3 and includes 4. 13+ has no upper bound; >104 means more than 104 weeks. Chart bars mark the finite upper bound or, for open bands, the lower bound; tied bands cannot rank individual waits.

General Surgery RTT specialty queue Vintage June 2026

Waiting time for hernia operation NHS

Waiting time for hernia operation on the NHS runs about >13–14 weeks at the general-surgery specialty median (90th percentile >38–39) - the RTT queue that covers inguinal and other hernia repairs, not a single-operation forecast.

Compare two trusts All procedures

Reviewed by PlainNHS ·

Median wait

>13–14 weeks

Within 18-week reference · national median for the General Surgery specialty

90th percentile

>38–39 weeks

Beyond 18-week reference · Elapsed-wait 90th-percentile band

Annual NHS volume

76,000

Approx. annual activity (separate source)

Pick a profiled NHS Trust to open a side-by-side wait comparison for hernia repair against another trust you choose next.

>13–14 weeks median for the General Surgery specialty

National median for General Surgery Service is >13–14 weeks (90th percentile >38–39), among pathways still waiting at the end of RTT-June-2026; it does not measure completed treatment. Among the 10 trusts PlainNHS profiles, medians run from Leeds Teaching Hospitals at >8–9 weeks to Kings College Hospital at >23–24 weeks. English providers with large lists span about 3–4 to 27–28 weeks. Source: NHS England RTT statistics, period RTT-June-2026.

  • Among 10 profiled trusts, Leeds Teaching Hospitals has a shorter median band at >8–9 weeks vs Kings College Hospital at >23–24
  • About 76,000 completed pathways a year nationally for hernia repair

The wait picture

National median for General Surgery Service is >13–14 weeks (90th percentile >38–39), among pathways still waiting at the end of RTT-June-2026; it does not measure completed treatment. Among the 10 trusts PlainNHS profiles, medians run from Leeds Teaching Hospitals at >8–9 weeks to Kings College Hospital at >23–24 weeks. English providers with large lists span about 3–4 to 27–28 weeks.

>13–14 wks
National median wait for the General Surgery specialty
>38–39 wks
90th percentile (elapsed wait among those still waiting)
>8–9 wks
Shortest profiled median band (Leeds Teaching Hospitals)
>23–24 wks
Longest profiled median band (Kings College Hospital)

Profiled trusts: 10. Figures are specialty-level RTT queues, not single-operation forecasts. Period RTT-June-2026.

How to read this pathway

General-surgery pathways (including hernia, gallbladder and varicose-vein work) are measured on NHS England's consultant-led Referral-to-Treatment (RTT) incomplete-pathway standard - 92% within 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment start. The specialty queue below mixes every condition that specialty treats, so read it as the queue hernia repair sits in rather than a single-operation forecast.

Patients have a statutory right to choose their treating Trust at the point of GP referral. NHS England collects these figures by specialty, not by procedure, so the chart and table show the wait for the specialty that performs Hernia Repair, not for that operation alone.

General Surgery Service median at profiled trusts

Sorted ascending. Specialty-level RTT incomplete pathways for the queue this procedure sits in. Period RTT-June-2026.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals (June-2026): >8–9 weeksLeeds Teaching Hospitals(June-2026)>8–9 weeksUniversity College London Ho (June-2026): >8–9 weeksUniversity College London Ho(June-2026)>8–9 weeksNewcastle Upon Tyne Hospital (June-2026): >9–10 weeksNewcastle Upon Tyne Hospital(June-2026)>9–10 weeksOxford University Hospitals (June-2026): >10–11 weeksOxford University Hospitals(June-2026)>10–11 weeksImperial College Healthcare (June-2026): >14–15 weeksImperial College Healthcare(June-2026)>14–15 weeksManchester University (June-2026): >14–15 weeksManchester University (June-2026)>14–15 weeksGuys and St Thomas (June-2026): >16–17 weeksGuys and St Thomas (June-2026)>16–17 weeksCambridge University Hospita (June-2026): >17–18 weeksCambridge University Hospita(June-2026)>17–18 weeksRoyal Free London (June-2026): >21–22 weeksRoyal Free London (June-2026)>21–22 weeksKings College Hospital (June-2026): >23–24 weeksKings College Hospital (June-2026)>23–24 weeks
Median wait (weeks) for Hernia Repair at profiled trusts

Share within 18 weeks at profiled trusts

Sorted descending. Same NHS England return as the median chart; useful when choosing between trusts on the same pathway.

University College London Ho: 84.5%University College London Ho84.5%Leeds Teaching Hospitals: 79.4%Leeds Teaching Hospitals79.4%Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital: 73.9%Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital73.9%Oxford University Hospitals: 70.4%Oxford University Hospitals70.4%Imperial College Healthcare: 60%Imperial College Healthcare60%Manchester University: 59.5%Manchester University59.5%Guys and St Thomas: 55.8%Guys and St Thomas55.8%Cambridge University Hospita: 52.2%Cambridge University Hospita52.2%Royal Free London: 41.7%Royal Free London41.7%Kings College Hospital: 39.9%Kings College Hospital39.9%
Share of pathways within 18 weeks (Hernia Repair, profiled trusts)

General Surgery Service waits at profiled trusts

Median and 92nd-percentile waits for the specialty that performs Hernia Repair, from NHS England's incomplete-pathways return for RTT-June-2026. These are whole-specialty figures covering every condition that specialty treats, so they describe the queue Hernia Repair sits in rather than that operation on its own. Waits are reported in one-week bands: a median of 12 means the middle patient has waited more than 11 and at most 12 weeks.

NHS Trust Region CQC Median (wks) 92nd pct (wks) Within 18wks Waiting
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >8–9 >27–28 79.4% 1,498
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Good >8–9 >25–26 84.5% 58
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >9–10 >34–35 73.9% 945
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NHS THAMES VALLEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >10–11 >37–38 70.4% 1,686
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >14–15 >40–41 60% 2,201
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust NHS GREATER MANCHESTER INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >14–15 >36–37 59.5% 5,222
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Good >16–17 >37–38 55.8% 1,585
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Good >17–18 >41–42 52.2% 1,519
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >21–22 >47–48 41.7% 4,105
Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Requires improvement >23–24 >50–51 39.9% 4,685

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT waiting times, incomplete pathways, RTT-June-2026. Covers the 10 profiled trusts that report to NHS England; providers outside NHS England's remit, including Scottish health boards, are not in this return.

Find your provider's General Surgery Service wait

Every one of the 215 English NHS providers reporting a specialty-level RTT return for General Surgery Service in RTT-June-2026, ordered by median band, with tied bands sharing a rank. Search by name or filter by region to find where your own hospital sits nationally. A wider view than the profiled-trusts table above, which is limited to the trusts this site covers in depth. Only providers with 100 or more incomplete pathways are included.

Showing 14 of 215 providers.

Rank Provider Region Median (wks) Within 18wks Waiting
8 GATESHEAD HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >5–6 91.7% 2,299
16 SOUTH TYNESIDE AND SUNDERLAND NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >6–7 83.3% 4,478
24 WOODLANDS HOSPITAL NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >7–8 79% 324
24 TYNESIDE SURGICAL SERVICES LTD NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >7–8 75.2% 121
38 NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >8–9 92.5% 6,520
38 TEES VALLEY HOSPITAL NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >8–9 75.3% 575
56 THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >9–10 73.9% 945
56 SPIRE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >9–10 81.5% 249
98 NUFFIELD HEALTH, TEES HOSPITAL NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >11–12 69.4% 157
126 COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >13–14 59.9% 6,314
126 SOUTH TEES HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >13–14 63.8% 1,921
144 NORTH TEES AND HARTLEPOOL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >14–15 59.5% 2,684
188 NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >17–18 51.6% 1,162
188 COBALT HOSPITAL NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD >17–18 50.3% 328

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT waiting times, incomplete pathways, RTT-June-2026. Most providers below are outside this site's profiled-trust roster and so have no linked page. RTT is collected by specialty, never by individual procedure.

General Surgery Service waits by NHS region

The same 215-provider return above, grouped by NHS commissioning region instead of ranked by provider. NHS BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD has the shortest median-of-provider-bands interval (median of provider median bands 8–9 weeks, 3 providers); NHS DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD the longest interval (16.5–17.5 weeks, 2 providers). This describes where providers typically sit, not a single guaranteed wait for every patient in that region.

Region Providers Median of medians (wks) Range (wks)
NHS BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 3 8–9 7–8–10–11
NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 10 8.5–9.5 5–6–15–16
NHS LEICESTER, LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 2 8.5–9.5 5–6–12–13
NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 14 9–10 5–6–17–18
NHS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 9–10 6–7–15–16
NHS CORNWALL AND THE ISLES OF SCILLY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 3 9–10 6–7–13–14
NHS NOTTINGHAM AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 9–10 7–8–15–16
NHS SHROPSHIRE, TELFORD AND WREKIN INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 1 9–10 9–10–9–10
NHS THAMES VALLEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 9.5–10.5 5–6–19–20
NHS LINCOLNSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 2 9.5–10.5 9–10–10–11
NHS BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET, SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 7 10–11 2–3–15–16
NHS DORSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 2 10–11 3–4–17–18
NHS KENT AND MEDWAY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 9 10–11 4–5–16–17
NHS SURREY AND SUSSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 10 10.5–11.5 5–6–27–28
NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 11–12 6–7–23–24
NHS CHESHIRE AND MERSEYSIDE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 12 11–12 7–8–19–20
NHS SOUTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 11–12 7–8–21–22
NHS SOMERSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 2 11–12 8–9–14–15
NHS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 11–12 9–10–11–12
NHS STAFFORDSHIRE AND STOKE-ON-TRENT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 3 11–12 10–11–13–14
NHS HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 12–13 3–4–21–22
NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 13 12–13 3–4–21–22
NHS BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 12–13 4–5–14–15
NHS GREATER MANCHESTER INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 11 12–13 5–6–20–21
NHS LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 10 12–13 7–8–19–20
NHS HUMBER AND NORTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 12–13 9–10–15–16
NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 12–13 10–11–18–19
NHS GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 1 12–13 12–13–12–13
NHS NORTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 6 12.5–13.5 7–8–16–17
NHS NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 13–14 8–9–17–18
NHS ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 9 13–14 10–11–25–26
NHS HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 4 13–14 10–11–17–18
NHS CENTRAL EAST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 14 13.5–14.5 8–9–19–20
NHS SOUTH WEST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 14–15 7–8–20–21
NHS BLACK COUNTRY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 5 15–16 7–8–17–18
NHS DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 2 16.5–17.5 14–15–19–20

Source: same NHS England return as the provider search above (RTT-June-2026). Region is the provider's NHS commissioning region, not the patient's home region.

The national queue behind this figure

The national median above (>13–14 weeks) sits behind 382,851 open General Surgery Service pathways across every English provider in June 2026, with 63% of them within the 18-week standard, >40–41 weeks marks the slowest 8% (92nd percentile). Provider median bands range from 3–4 to 27–28 weeks across the qualifying English specialty providers. These provider bands and the national patient percentile describe different populations.

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT waiting times, national all-provider total (June 2026), the England-wide figure the per-trust breakdown above is drawn from, not a further trust.

Month-on-month specialty queue movement

Across every English provider reporting General Surgery Service, the incomplete-pathway total moved from 382,013 in May 2026 to 382,851 in June 2026 (+838 pathways). The share within 18 weeks went from 62.7% to 63% (+0.3 percentage points) , while the mean of provider median bands lies in >11.2–12.3 weeks (was >11.4–12.5). Procedures that sit in this specialty share that queue movement; it is not a single-operation forecast.

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT provider×specialty history (May 2026 → June 2026), England-wide aggregate for this treatment function.

Which providers moved most for General Surgery Service?

The England-wide aggregate above blends every provider's queue together, so it can mask an individual trust getting sharply better or worse. Ranking providers with at least 100 incomplete pathways in both May 2026 and June 2026 by the change in their 18-week share shows which named trusts are actually driving that movement.

Most improved

  • FRIMLEY HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (NHS SURREY AND SUSSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +22.7pp (55.7%→78.4%)
  • HENDON HOSPITAL (NHS WEST AND NORTH LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +14.4pp (71.9%→86.3%)
  • HUDDERSFIELD PRIVATE HOSPITAL (NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +11.4pp (83.7%→95.1%)
  • SPIRE METHLEY PARK HOSPITAL (NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +10.5pp (75.7%→86.2%)
  • ROWLEY HALL HOSPITAL (NHS STAFFORDSHIRE AND STOKE-ON-TRENT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) +8.2pp (61.4%→69.6%)

Most worsened

  • UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS BRISTOL AND WESTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (NHS BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -11.4pp (88%→76.6%)
  • SPIRE ELLAND HOSPITAL (NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -11.2pp (80.9%→69.7%)
  • SPIRE PARKWAY HOSPITAL (NHS BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -10pp (73.2%→63.2%)
  • CIRCLE READING HOSPITAL (NHS THAMES VALLEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -9.1pp (86.4%→77.3%)
  • NUFFIELD HEALTH, BRENTWOOD HOSPITAL (NHS ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD) -9pp (47.6%→38.6%)

Source: NHS England consultant-led RTT provider×specialty history, providers with ≥100 incomplete General Surgery Service pathways in both periods shown.

18-week RTT incomplete-pathway standard

NHS England's consultant-led Referral-to-Treatment (RTT) incomplete-pathway standard is that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment start. The national specialty median on this page for the General Surgery specialty is >13–14 weeks; the 90th percentile is >38–39 weeks (period RTT-June-2026).

Share of profiled-trust pathways within 18 weeks

Across the 10 trusts PlainNHS profiles (23,504 people still waiting in the RTT-June-2026 return), a waiting-list-weighted 54.5% of pathways were within 18 weeks. That is a roll-up of the per-trust shares in the chart above, not a second NHS England figure.

Other General Surgery pathways we track

National medians from the same NHS England family of returns. Each link opens that pathway's wait page.

Choosing a general-surgery trust at referral

General-surgery pathways (including hernia repair) use the NHS e-Referral Service for most non-urgent elective referrals. At the point of GP referral you can ask to see the provider list for this specialty. PlainNHS does not book appointments; it publishes the waits from NHS England so you can compare listed trusts before the referral is locked in.

Read with this pathway

Monthly RTT release cadence

The figures on this page refresh when PlainNHS ingests the next NHS England consultant-led RTT release for General Surgery. The data vintage in the hero and the period labels on the charts are the ones currently on file (RTT-June-2026).

Where to see what moved

What to do with this pathway

Use the published waits for Hernia Repair before you contact your GP or the trust's PALS.

  • National median wait is >13–14 weeks (90th percentile >38–39 weeks on the June 2026 return). See Leeds profile
  • Put two trusts on the same monthly RTT or DM01 return side by side. Compare trusts
  • Read how the 18-week clock and incomplete-pathway counts are defined. RTT guide

Statistical waiting times only, not medical advice or a prediction for your case.

Answers, sources and standards

Check the evidence behind this page

Start with the common questions, then follow the primary sources used for the figures above.

Common general-surgery wait and NHS-cost questions

What is the waiting time for hernia operation on the NHS?

General-surgery RTT pathways, the queue hernia operations sit in, show a national median of >13–14 weeks on NHS England's latest return (90th percentile >38–39). Inguinal and other hernia repairs share this specialty queue rather than a separate operation-level row.

How long is the inguinal hernia NHS waiting list?

PlainNHS does not publish a separate inguinal-hernia-only list; inguinal repairs are counted inside the general-surgery RTT specialty. The >13–14-week median on this page is the best official queue figure for hernia work nationally, with trust-level spreads in the table below.

How much does hernia repair cost on the NHS?

NHS-funded hernia repair in England carries no charge to the patient at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the UK — the “free at the point of delivery” principle set out in the NHS Constitution for England. PlainNHS publishes official NHS waiting times, not private or insurer-funded prices: we hold no source we can attribute for private fees, so we do not publish them. What this page does record is the length of the NHS queue — a national median of >13–14 weeks, with a 90th percentile of >38–39 weeks. Which routes the NHS funds is set out in our guide to when the NHS pays for private treatment.

Primary sources

Data current as of

About the portal

PlainNHS

An independent public-data reference that compiles NHS England waiting-time statistics and Care Quality Commission ratings. It accepts no payment from NHS trusts or any covered entity, and advertising placements do not influence editorial presentation.

Important: Statistical waiting times do not predict the timing of any individual case. This page is not medical advice; speak to your GP, NHS 111, or the treating Trust for specific clinical decisions.

Source: NHS England Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times · RTT-June-2026

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher.

Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.

PlainNHS procedure pages are rendered directly from NHS England RTT and diagnostic (DM01) releases, no number is typed in by an editor. Median and provider waits for Hernia Repair come from the live specialty or diagnostic return on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of RTT-June-2026. Figures here are for context and comparison; clinical pathway decisions belong with your GP, NHS 111, or the treating Trust.